In response to the announcement of the £570 million Market Sustainability and Improvement Workforce Fund today, Dr Rhidian Hughes, Chief Executive of the Voluntary Organisations Disability Group (VODG) says:
‘People who use social care need a well-trained, capable and confident workforce to enable high quality services to be delivered.
‘The money announced today to help alleviate some of the pressure around the social care workforce is welcome, especially the flexibility to support uplifts in pay. It is essential for this money to be quickly passed on to providers, including those in the voluntary sector, who are facing impossible challenges around commissioning rates, retention and recruitment.
‘VODG and our members stand ready to work with local authorities to ensure this additional funding is effectively used to sustain high quality services.
‘But this is only a short-term solution, aimed primarily at reducing avoidable admissions and supporting discharge from hospital. It does not address the longer-term support or parity in workforce pay between social care and the NHS. We need government to urgently ensure the social care sector is on a surer footing for everyone drawing on social care support, including those with lifelong disabilities. We continue to call for parity of recognition, pay and value with the NHS, reflecting the critical importance of the social care workforce and its role in the life chances and experiences of people of all ages.’
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- DHSC statement in full: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/600-million-social-care-winter-workforce-and-capacity-boost